Venues

Airbnb has banned parties/weddings of more than 16 people so even if you plan on having only 20 people including yourselves that would go against Airbnb's ban.

I'd recommend something like PeerSpace. Same idea of small/locally owned places, but more suited to hosting an event

^ that ban was temporary and has been lifted for properties that can accommodate. There are actually tons of absolutely breathtaking AirBNB wedding options, I would absolutely take a look! I'd definitely make sure you have professional catering done, though, and treat your guests as if it's a traditional wedding - microweddings are incredible but don't forget your hospitality!

Just search wedding airbnb and your location. There are TONS where I live (TX)!

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The ban to which you refer was on ALL parties/gatherings. If you look at AirBNB's website, they specifically state that gatherings cannot be larger than 16 people.

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This quote is from June 2022:

"Airbnb used to leave the decision to throw parties to hosts. Then, in 2019, it banned "open-invite" parties and "chronic party houses."

Amid the COVID-19 pandemic, with bars and clubs being closed, people began taking their parties to Airbnbs. The company temporarily banned parties in August 2020 to curb the spread of the virus. Since then, reports of parties have dropped 44% year-to-year, Airbnb said.

In 2021, about 6,600 people were suspended from Airbnb for violating the temporary ban. At the time, there was a 16-person limit on gatherings, which has since been lifted."

Also, I don't think that a wedding may classify as the "party ban" because I have helped plan an AirBNB wedding in the last year and it was openly advertised as a wedding venue by the owner. There were about 35 people there!

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There's definitely conflicting info out there. But I would think that if the owner OPENLY hosts weddings (very large properties) on AirBNB and it's allowed by AirBNB, there's a loophole here somewhere!

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As of June 28, 2022:

https://news.airbnb.com/official-codification-of-party-ban/

https://www.npr.org/2022/06/29/1108500956/airbnb-policy-no-parties-ban-gatherings-covid-19

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Yeah, I read that too.

Like I said, there's obviously conflicting info. I wonder if wedding venues have a loophole, I can understand a normal house having 16+ people is inappropriate, but 10+ acres? A 15 bedroom house? A property that literally has a 80 person reception venue on it? Not so sure! I think it's definitely worth looking into though!

OP, I would choose a venue with liability insurance or to purchase your own insurance for this kind of gathering. If you have a blank slate, you will have to supply all food, dishes, linen, chairs, etc. and clean the area of garbage. Would you consider a reception at a restaurant which supplies food service staff?

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"Our Community Standards prohibit members of the Airbnb Community from creating a nuisance that disturbs the surrounding neighborhood. Hosts and guests can meet this standard by making sure they clearly align on expectations for gatherings at listings. While we believe most guests are respectful, we’ve created our Parties and Events policy to provide clear guidance on what is expected from everyone. Until further notice, the policy prohibits:

• Gatherings of more than 16 people"
• The above is directly from AirBNB's website. They are extremely clear about their policy, if you're finding conflicting information, it isn't from AirBNB.

Even if the van has been lifted, you are always at the mercy of the owner who can revoke the reservation at any time. Also many posts on the forum have mentioned that backyard weddings are more expensive than an inexpensive venue such as owned by the parks department or via peerspace.com or eventective.com designed for small crowds. You have to arrange all rentals (tables/chairs/toilets and beyond) and the neighborhood will have noise restrictions.